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4 Fun ways to use a PlayTRAY
The PlayTRAY is an award-winning play accessory, that truly opens up a whole world of creative and sensory play opportunities. They are designed to provide a contained and engaging space for children to explore and experiment with a variety of materials, such as sensory items, loose parts, and creative resources. The PlayTRAY takes the mess and hassle out of creating an engaging play experience, and is ideal for keeping activities contained and organising the play resources afterwards.
Bringing a PlayTRAY into your home is a great way to encourage exploration and creativity. Children can touch, feel and manipulate a variety of textures in a hands-on experience, and can help to support fine-motor skills and spatial awareness. A PlayTRAY provides an organised and contained space where kids can practice pouring, picking up, and manipulating small objects, supporting hand-eye coordination.
We love the PlayTRAY for independant play, but it is also great to use in group settings, such as in the class room or on a play-date. With a deep tray, a shallow tray and 6 removable compartments, there is plenty of room to share, and engaging in the play space can foster all-important social skills such as taking turns, sharing, collaboration and communication.
Let's take a look at some ways to use your PlayTRAY:
1. For Sensory Play
Fill your PlayTRAY with a collection of different materials, such as pasta, beans, rice, playdough, water or sand and allow your child to explore and manipulate them freely. Don't worry, everything is contained and the PlayTRAY is made from durable and premium food-safe plastic. It even has non-slip feet and a lid with a seal! Add tools such as scoops, bowls, spoons and tongs to add variety to the play and learning experience. You can check out our sensory play shop here
2. Loose Parts Play
A great way to encourage problem-solving and critical thinking, fill the PlayTRAY with a selection of loose parts, such as beads, shells or mandala pieces and allow them the freedom to create their own designs and patterns.
3. Small World Play
Create the scene of dreams! The PlayTRAY is a neat and convenient way to create a small world play set up, keeping everything contained, and you can even close the lid and store away for for the following day. Incorporate rice, beads, stones, artificial moss, leaves, play figures, wood, lego and more to create the ultimate in small world play. Scene ideas include woodland, the antarctic, space, ocean, dessert, jurassic - what will you create?
A platform to explore their ideas and emotions, small world play encourages your little ones to act out experiences, which helps them grow in terms of their emotional, social, and personal skills.
4. Messy Play
Want to give your child creative freedom, but don't want the mess? The PlayTRAY could really help you out! With its durable plastic, contained and removable compartments, and sealable lid, you can utilise the tray to allow freedom of play with things like play dough, clay, paint, slime, glitter, mud and more! This form of open-ended exploration allows children to use their instinctual curiosity and supports the ability to play independently. Messy play here we come..
You can browse our collection of PlayTRAY accessories and inspiration here, and you can find our favourite add-ons for your PlayTRAY tuff tray below:
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These are just some of the ways we love using our PlayTRAY- have you found some other great uses? Let us know in the comments!
If you don't have one yet, and want to find new ways to engage your child in an independent, creative and imaginative play space, consider a PlayTRAY!
Laura Davies is the founder of the The Kid Collective, the ultimate shopping destination for toys and brands that support learning through play. Everything is consciously selected with the benefits of play in mind, ensuring that each toy inspires growth in children, for today and tomorrow. When it comes to play, we know what matters.